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Best Android phones 2022: which Google-powered mobile should you buy?

The best Android phones are fun to use, with unique features that lean into the cutting edge of technology. Android owners get to try things first, whether it's the biggest camera sensor, the folding glass designs, or the amazing advances in AI software. If you're looking for a phone that is cool because it's really cool, not because a company says so, you're looking for an Android.

We know Android, and we're here to recommend the best Android phone for you. We've extensively tested and reviewed hundreds of them, using them just the way you would, then going further. We push the phones to their limit and check out every little thing each phone can do.

Android phones always rank among our best smartphones, so there's sure to be something here for you. This year we focused primarily on phones that were available worldwide, including the US market. Samsung dominates, but it's the company's reliable service and support makes it a great phone brand.

Once again our list is topped by the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, the best Samsung phone. It's the phone that does everything, except fold in half. We've included some of those as well, and the cool folding design is an aspect you need to hold in your hand to believe.

Android phones also represent a great value, so we've included some good budget options from top manufacturers. If you don't care as much about saving money, you may also want to check out one of the best iPhones. If, like us, you're on a budget, our look at the best cheap phones may suit you better.

The best Android phones 2022

(Image credit: Future)

1. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra The best Android phone Specifications Release date: February 2022 Weight: 228g Dimensions: 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm OS: Android 12 Screen size: 6.8-inch Resolution: 1440 x 3088 CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 / Exynos 2200 RAM: 8GB / 12GB Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB Battery: 5,000mAh Rear camera: 108MP + 10MP + 10MP + 12MP Front camera: 40MP specifications Storage Size 128GB - 512GB Colour Black, Green, Red, White Condition New, Refurbished Today's Best Deals View at Best Buy (opens in new tab) View at Samsung (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Incredible cameras and zoom + Excellent little S Pen Reasons to avoid - No microSD slot - Battery life could be better

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is seemingly designed to be the ultimate Android phone – or at the very least the ultimate Samsung phone – and it succeeds at both, by building both on the impressive Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, and taking the essence of the Samsung Galaxy Note range.

You can see this in the two things we liked most about this phone in our 4.5-star review. It has what we described as zoom capabilities that “simply blow away anything we’ve ever seen before from a mobile phone camera,” thanks to 10x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom – which actually delivers usable shots.

The other highlight is the S Pen stylus, which for this model is included with the phone, and also has its own slot, just like on a Galaxy Note. It’s a useful feature for productivity and creativity, while beyond that the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a superb screen, oodles of power, and more tech and features than you’ll probably ever use.

The battery life could be better, and it sure is expensive. However, Android excellence comes at a cost, and for power users it’s well worth the price tag.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review

(Image credit: Google)

The Google Pixel 7 Pro takes amazing photos with ease, night and day, but it also takes the photo experience further than ever before – it actually made our photos from older phones look better. For now, that’s something you can only do with a Tensor G2-enabled phone like the Pixel 7 Pro; in fact, there are quite a few things the Pixel 7 Pro can do that none of its competitors even attempt.

The Pixel 7 Pro listens better – literally. It recognizes speech more accurately, making Google Assistant more useful. It doesn’t just make photos better, it makes them more clear, and more inclusive, using Real Tone technology to enhance skin tones. It will soon make phone calls sound better.

We wish that the battery life were more impressive, and the Macro Focus mode wasn't as magical as many other Google Photos features. The phone delivers on some amazing promises, even if it can't keep them all.

Read our full Google Pixel 7 Pro review

(Image credit: Carlos Pedrós)

3. Samsung Galaxy A53 The best budget Samsung phone Specifications Release date: March 2022 Weight: 189g Dimensions: 159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1mm OS: Android 12 Screen size: 6.5-inch Resolution: 1080 x 2400 CPU: Exynos 1280 RAM: 6GB Storage: 128GB + support for a microSD card up to 1TB Battery: 5,000mAh Rear camera: 64MP + 12MP + 5MP + 5MP Front camera: 32MP Today's Best Deals Check Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Good cameras for price + Good-looking screen Reasons to avoid - Slow to charge - Slow to navigate

We are prioritizing our budget, and the Galaxy A53 has all of it's priorities straight. It has a huge camera array, with four different lenses, giving you tons of options. It has a great screen, solid battery life, and it's water resistant. For the price, what you get is truly remarkable.

The Galaxy A53 comes with an attractive screen that has the same resolution and refresh rate as the S22. In fact, apart from the size, most people aren't likely to see that big of a difference between this budget phone's display and that of the S22.

The phone boasts some pretty impressive photo-taking prowess. It has a 64MP f/1.8 main camera, joined by a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens, a 5MP f/2.4 macro, and a 5MP f/2.4 depth sensor. There are far more expensive phones with fewer camera options.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy A53 review

Today's best Samsung Galaxy A53 deals (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) No price information (opens in new tab) Check Amazon (opens in new tab)

(Image credit: Google)

Like the Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel 7 arrives with Google's latest Tensor G2 chipset, which, paired with Google's own take on an Android 13, delivers a satisfying user experience, with everyday tasks made that little bit easier.

The Pixel 7 sports a design that, while divisive, feels considered and premium. The cameras sit within an imposing aluminum band that helps the phone stand out from the crowd, especially in its price range, and the smaller 6.3-inch display size and thinner bezels (compared to the Pixel 6) mean the Pixel 7 is more comfortable to hold, and more pocketable, than before.

The biggest shortcomings are most notable in areas where this phone, by design, trails behind the Pixel 7 Pro, with its slower display and the absence of a telephoto zoom lens.

Even so, the user experience feels polished, the AI-supported features are unique and competent, and the promise of more functionality via forthcoming 'feature drops' mean this Pixel is only likely to get better with time.

Read our full Google Pixel 7 review

(Image credit: Future)

5. OnePlus 10 Pro The best ultra-premium phone for budget-conscious buyers Specifications Release date: March 2022 Weight: 201g Dimensions: 163 x 73.9 x 8.6mm OS: Android 12 Screen size: 6.7-inch Resolution: 1440 x 3216 CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 RAM: 8/12GB Storage: 128/256GB Battery: 5,000mAh Rear camera: 48MP + 50MP + 8MP Front camera: 32MP specifications Storage Size 128GB Condition New Today's Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Fantastic screen + Super-fast charging Reasons to avoid - Cameras aren’t perfect - Too big for all users

With a price that undercuts key rivals, not to mention the launch price of its predecessor – the OnePlus 9 Pro – it’s easy to recommend the OnePlus 10 Pro. You’re getting a whole lot of phone for that price too, with incredibly fast 80W charging (or 65W in the US), a big, bright, and beautiful 6.7-inch 1440 x 3216 screen, top-end power, and a distinct design.

Where it struggles a little is the cameras, which we found were great at times but inconsistent. Portrait mode would often be overzealous with its blurring, the color profile noticeably changed when jumping between lenses, and the 8MP telephoto lens struggles once you move beyond 3.3x optical zoom.

Still, most of the time – and particularly when sticking to the 48MP main and 50MP ultrawide cameras – photos come out well, so even these are small complaints, really. Given the cost and everything that the OnePlus 10 Pro does get right, it comes highly recommended, and is one of the very best Android phones.

Read our full OnePlus 10 Pro review

Today's best OnePlus 10 Pro deals Reduced Price (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) $799.99 (opens in new tab) $649.16 (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab) Reduced Price (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) $875 (opens in new tab) $831 (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) $900 (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab)

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

7. Samsung Galaxy S22 A powerful, budget-friendly Android phone Specifications Release date: February 2022 Weight: 167g Dimensions: 146 x 70.6 x 7.6mm OS: Android 12 Screen size: 6.1-inch Resolution: 1080 x 2340 CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 / Exynos 2200 RAM: 8GB Storage: 128GB / 256GB Battery: 3,700mAh Rear camera: 50MP + 10MP + 12MP Front camera: 10MP specifications Storage Size 128GB - 256GB Colour Black, Gold, Green, Pink, Purple, White Condition New, Refurbished Today's Best Deals View at Best Buy (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Samsung (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Small and solidly built + Attractive design Reasons to avoid - Not a major update - Camera system pales in comparison to its Ultra cousin

The Samsung Galaxy S22 isn’t a major improvement on the Samsung Galaxy S21 – so if you have that phone, it’s probably not worth upgrading, but this is still an excellent handset in its own right. It’s especially good for fans of compact phones, as with a 6.1-inch screen, small bezels, and a slim build, this is definitely on the small side by modern Android phone standards.

It’s a good-looking phone too, and significantly more affordable than the rest of the Galaxy S22 range – or than many other high-end phones. That’s despite packing in flagship power – benchmarking the Galaxy S22 against the bigger S22 Ultra, we found their Geekbench scores to be comparable. So the Samsung Galaxy S22 won’t hold you back.

Its cameras can’t touch those on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and that small screen may feel cramped for some users. But, for everyone else this is one of the best Android phones – and at a surprisingly great price.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S22 review

(Image credit: Future)

6. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 The Z Flip 4 is the top Samsung clamshell foldable Specifications Release date: August 2022 Weight: 187g Dimensions: 165.2 x 71.9 x 6.9mm / 84.9 x 71.9 x 15.9-17.1mm OS: Android 12 Screen size: 1.9-inch / 6.7-inch Resolution: 260 x 512 / 1080 x 2640 CPU: Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 RAM: 8GB Storage: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB Battery: 3,700mAh Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP Front camera: 10MP specifications Storage Size 128GB - 256GB Colour Blue, Gold, Purple Condition New Today's Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Best Buy (opens in new tab) View at Samsung (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Larger battery & faster charging + Excellent performance Reasons to avoid - Occasional camera inconsistencies - Minor year-on-year upgrades

Samsung virtually perfected the clamshell foldable with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, so it’s not surprising to find that the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is only a minor upgrade.

You get a bigger battery here plus faster charging and a more powerful chipset, but almost everything else is as it was on the previous model.

That’s okay though, because the Z Flip 3 was an excellent phone, and the Z Flip 4 is even better. In our review we were particularly impressed with its performance and how compact it is, while the larger battery helps fix one of the biggest issues with the Flip 3.

We’re hoping for bigger changes on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, but for now this is the best clamshell foldable you can buy, and one of the best Samsung phones.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 review

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

3. Samsung Galaxy S22 The best small Android flagship Specifications Release date: February 2022 Weight: 167g Dimensions: 146 x 70.6 x 7.6mm OS: Android 12 Screen size: 6.1-inch Resolution: 1080 x 2340 CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 / Exynos 2200 RAM: 8GB Storage: 128GB / 256GB Battery: 3,700mAh Rear camera: 50MP (wide) + 10MP (telephoto, 3x optical) + 12MP (ultrawide, 120-degree) Front camera: 10MP specifications Storage Size 128GB - 256GB Colour Black, Gold, Green, Pink, Purple, White Condition New, Refurbished Today's Best Deals View at Best Buy (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Samsung (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Small and solidly built + Attractive design Reasons to avoid - Not a major update - Camera system pales in comparison to its Ultra cousin

The Samsung Galaxy S22 is the baby of the Galaxy S22 range, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider it. In fact, as the cheapest of Samsung’s flagship trio it’s a very tempting handset, and easily one of the best Samsung phones.

In our review we praised its performance and its stylish yet solidly built construction. It’s small by flagship phone standards too, with a 6.1-inch screen and compact overall dimensions, making this a great choice for fans of small handsets. That screen is no slouch though, with a 120Hz refresh rate and a crisp 1080 x 2340 resolution.

The cameras – while no match for those on the Galaxy S22 Ultra – are also fairly good, and include a new 50MP main sensor, along with capable ultra-wide and telephoto ones.

And as noted the phone performs well, as it packs a top-end chipset (albeit one which varies depending on your region) and 8GB of RAM. If you need the biggest or best phone around then this isn’t for you, but if you want a capable, compact flagship on a budget then the Samsung Galaxy S22 is well worth considering.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S22 review

(Image credit: Future)

8. Motorola Edge 30 Ultra The best Android phone for gaming Specifications Release date: September 2022 Weight: 198.5g Dimensions: 161.8 x 73.5 x 8.4mm OS: Android 12 Screen size: 6.67-inch Resolution: 1080 x 2400 CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 RAM: 8GB / 12GB Storage: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB Battery: 4610 mAh Rear camera: 200MP + 12MP + 50MP Front camera: 60MP Today's best Motorola Edge 30 Ultra deals (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) $1,099 (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Premium design + Super-fast charging Reasons to avoid - 200MP is just unnecessary - Zoom camera could zoom further

The Motorola Edge 30 Ultra is such a good phone, with a fantastic value-for-money proposition and collection of specs, that it’ll make your Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra green with envy.

Every aspect of the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra is utterly premium, making for a fantastic user experience. The display is top-notch, with a 144Hz refresh rate, and combined with a top-end Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor the phone is fantastic for gaming or other power-hungry processes.

Talking of power, the phone charges incredibly quickly at 125W. Every aspect of the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra is utterly premium, making for a fantastic user experience. It’s going to be hard for other phones to seem impressive, or even interesting, in the wake of the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra and all the ways it wows us.

Today's best Motorola Edge 30 Ultra deals (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) $1,099 (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab)

(Image credit: Asus)

9. Asus Rog Phone 6D Ultimate The best Android phone for gaming Specifications Release date: September 2022 Weight: 247g Dimensions: 173 x 77 x 10.4mm OS: Android 12 Screen size: 6.78-inch Resolution: 1080 x 2448 CPU: MediaTek Dimension 9000+ RAM: 16GB Storage: 512GB Battery: 6,000mAh Rear camera: 50MP + 13MP + 5MP Front camera: 12MP Reasons to buy + Great screen and speakers + Excellent heat management Reasons to avoid - Average camera performance - Expensive

For anyone looking for a gaming phone to reckon with, the Asus Rog Phone 6D Ultimate is impressive. It has a 6.78-inch full HD OLED panel with a 165Hz refresh rate that's ideal for fast-moving games. A series of viewing modes help here, while powerful speakers ensures the phone is suitably immersive.

While it has the same camera lens as the Oppo Find X5 Pro (a 50MP lens featuring a Sony IMX 766 sensor), it lacks optical image stabilization so this isn't a good pick for a photographer.

Still, for performance and speed, the Asus Rog Phone 6D Ultimate is fast and potent, while staying cool over extended use. For gamers, it's hard to resist.

Read our full Asus Rog Phone 6D Ultimate review.

Today's best Motorola Edge 30 Ultra and Asus ROG Phone 6D Ultimate deals (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) $1,099 (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) $1,550 (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab)

How to choose the best Android phone for you

Screen size and resolution, battery life, power, camera performance and price tend to be the main things to consider when looking for one of the best Android phones. The top models will excel in most or all areas - but often at a high price.

And when it comes to the screen, bigger isn't always better. If you have small hands or want to use your phone one-handed, then you may want to consider something more compact.

How we test

Every phone in this list has been put through a rigorous review process. We test every aspect of a device's hardware, software and functionality, and put manufacturers' claims to the test (where possible).

We compare camera samples, measure charging speeds, assess display viewing angles, brightness and color balance, performance and heat management under intense load (such as gaming), analyse battery life and more.

This process – paired with real-world usage and our year's of experience – allows us to say with confidence which Android phones are the best, and how they compare to one another.

Which Android phone brand is the best? No single Android phone brand offers the definitive 'perfect smartphone', so instead we try and filter out what different users are looking for and make recommendations based on the greatest strengths of a particular brand's devices. Samsung's flagships tend to be among the very best Android phones out there; namely for their rich feature set, capable software, versatile cameras and great long-term software support, but there are a wealth of other devices from other phone makers worth considering too. Brands including OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo, Google and others, all have something to offer to the right user, and we aim to show a diverse range of handsets, including those you might not have heard of or considered.

Is Android or iOS better? Choosing between Android and iOS is a matter of personal preference. With Android you get a much wider selection of phones and brands, so it can be easier to find a handset with the features (and at a price) that you're happy with. With iOS, you get a more consistent experience across phones, and iPhones work well with Apple's other products and services.

These are the best smartphones to buy in 2022!

Want a new smartphone and overwhelmed with options? Here's our expert guide on the best smartphone for you across needs and budget!

This has been a great year for smartphones so far -- conventional slab phones are all extremely polished, and foldables are coming into their own. So if you're looking to upgrade your phone, now is as good a time as any. We here at XDA test almost every smartphone on earth, so here's our expert guide on the best smartphones -- covering both the best Android and best iPhone -- depending on your budget or need!

Best Overall Smartphone: Apple iPhone 14 Pro

Picking the iPhone 14 Pro in this spot was a very tough decision because there are a lot of worthy challengers. And honestly, for me specifically, I'd rather use the bigger iPhone 14 Pro Max or the Xiaomi 12S Ultra over the iPhone 14 Pro, but this list must be written with the general public in mind, and for most people, the iPhone 14 Pro is the best combination of performance, value, and availability.

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I personally like the Pro Max model this year because it has epic battery life, and the Dynamic Island cutout takes out less screen space on the larger model. I also think the Xiaomi 12S Ultra's 1-inch sensor still captures more organic photos. But the Pro Max may be a tad too big for those with smaller hands, and Xiaomi's phone only sells in China. So for most readers as general advice, the iPhone 14 Pro takes the crown as the best phone they should be buying if they do not have any specific preferences and just want a really solid all-rounder device.

There's a lot to like here, starting with the removal of the notch in favor of a pill-shaped cutout. Apple has designed a new UI -- the aforementioned Dynamic Island -- that gives off the illusion that the cutout can change shape and size depending on what you're doing with the phone. Play music, for example, and you will see the album cover art and a music wave bar next to the cutout. Navigate on Apple Maps, and you'll see an arrow on the island directing you to where you should be heading. Not everyone is going to love this new UI but many of us think it's clever and potentially improves how we access the myriad of information on our phones.

Next, Apple also improved the camera performance this year, giving the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max a new 48MP camera that is used to shoot pixel-binned 12MP photos. The image sensor has also increased in size for the main and ultra-wide camera, so the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max won't have to resort to night mode as often. Video stabilization also got a huge improvement with "Action Mode," which is a form of EIS that works wonders. While it's debatable where the new iPhone ranks in the still photography department, it is absolutely the video recording champion.

There's also the new Apple A16 Bionic, which is by far the most powerful silicon in mobile, and it is very energy efficient. I already said the iPhone 14 Pro Max has epic battery life, but the iPhone 14 Pro is no slouch either, able to finish a full 12- to 13-hour day of heavy use with some juice to spare. This is despite the fact the iPhone 14 Pro has a new Always-On Display that's quite literally always on.

All of these parameters come together to make the iPhone 14 Pro an ideal candidate for the best phone you can buy. Of course, if you're an Android fan, we'd recommend you take a look at our best Android smartphone list. But if you're a general consumer looking for a phone that will work excellently, last you for years, keep its resale value, and have a strong hardware and software ecosystem around it, then look no further than the iPhone 14 Pro.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max The iPhone 14 Pro is the best all around smartphone for most people due to its performance, price, availability, and resale value down the line. View at Best Buy

Best Affordable Premium Smartphone: OnePlus 10 Pro

This category is different from the above "best overall" category in that this is no longer looking at it from an average consumer perspective. This category is instead for people who follow the smartphone market closely and want a phone that offers the best combination of specs, features, and value. And yes, some will surely take issue with us calling an $899 phone "affordable," but do keep in mind this section is for an affordable premium phone, meaning it's for someone who wants a high-end flagship phone without going too crazy, and $899 in this category is on the lower end.

Anyway, the $899 OnePlus 10 Pro is our choice in this spot. It's got a brilliant 120Hz LTPO 2.0 OLED display that's almost as good as the Galaxy S22 Ultra's (it falls short in peak brightness by a hair), premium build quality, excellent haptics, and a really strong main and ultra-wide camera. In fact, the only area in which the Galaxy S22 Ultra clearly beats the OnePlus 9 Pro is in zooming prowess. But then the OnePlus 10 Pro charges much faster and costs almost $300 less.

As a standalone device, without comparing it to other phones, the OnePlus 10 Pro offers a great package. OnePlus has built its reputation over the years as a brand that focuses on being "fast" and that theme continues with the 10 Pro. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is one of the best smartphone SoCs on the Android side of things so its performance is top-notch. While OxygenOS has lost a bit of its own identity in the past year -- it now shares a lot of DNA with OPPO's ColorOS, it is still one of the smoothest and fastest UI around.

Apart from performance, another thing that's really fast on the OnePlus 10 Pro is charging the battery. In the US, the OnePlus 10 Pro gets a 65W charging brick in the box (while internationally, the phone gets an 80W brick -- this difference is due to regional voltage issues, but rest assured, the charging times are negligible between the two.) From our testing, the phone's 5,000 mAh battery can charge from 0-100% in 34 minutes.

OnePlus 10 Pro OnePlus 10 Pro The OnePlus 10 Pro, at $899, is one of the more affordable phones with a top notch 120Hz LTPO OLED screen, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, and a fully featured camera system. View at OnePlus

Best Affordable Flagship Smartphone: Google Pixel 7

The Google Pixel 7 Pro is the better phone, but the Pixel 7 is the better option for most people. Both phones basically share most of the same hardware, with the Pro only gaining a higher refresh rate and a zoom lens. For most people, those two features aren't enough to justify the $250 price difference. At $599, the Pixel 7 is an excellent value -- a flagship phone that can hang with the big boys in many areas, but at almost half the price.

The Pixel 7 continues the Pixel 6's evolution, with the second generation Tensor G2 chip custom-designed by Google that takes the phone's machine learning capabilities to another level. The display, while "just" 90Hz, is still a looker, with FHD+ resolution and accurate color output. It's also slightly smaller than the Pixel 6 at 6.3-inches, making for a comfortable one-hand phone. The dual-camera system here features the same hardware as the Pro's -- a 50MP primary sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide. And they're both great.

The 4,335 mAh battery is relatively small -- it is actually smaller than the Pixel 6's battery -- but battery life is still good thanks to the Tensor G2's efficiency. The software on the Pixel 7 is also one of its biggest highlights. The phone comes with Android 13 out of the box and given that it's a Pixel, you can truly enjoy Android 13 the way it's meant to be. There are lots of AI features that Google introduced including Live Translate, Magic Eraser, Face Unblur, etc. Google also promises 3 years of Android version upgrades and 5 years of security patches for the Pixel 7. This makes the phone future-proof and you can use it for an extended period.

If you're looking for a phone that excels especially in the camera department, and one that has clean and up-to-date software, you cannot go wrong with the Pixel 7.

Google Pixel 7 Google Pixel 7 The Pixel 7 packs the second-gen Tensor SoC, a brighter display, and improved cameras. View at Best Buy

Best Budget Smartphone: OnePlus Nord N20

Retailing for around $300 ($282 if you go with T-Mobile), it's hard to find a phone at this price point stateside that's more capable than the OnePlus Nord N20. For a quarter of the price of an iPhone 13 Pro Max or Galaxy S22 Ultra, you're getting a 5G-ready handset, a solid main camera, and a pretty design.

While the 6.4-inch screen is only 60Hz, it is an OLED panel so you're getting some punchy, vibrant colors. That 60Hz panel also helps the 4,500 mAh battery last all day, and if you do need a top-up, there's a 33W fast charging brick included with the package. There's also a headphone jack, and 5G support too.

The main 64MP camera is fine in good lighting conditions, but don't be fooled by the large second camera lens (and the smaller third lens): those are just 2MP sensors that don't do much of anything. At this price point in the US though, one good rear-facing camera is acceptable.

Otherwise, the usual OnePlus zippy software can be found here, and while OxygenOS has lost some of its character, it's still clean and minimum software compared to many other Android brands.

OnePlus Nord N20 OnePlus Nord N20 The OnePlus Nord N20 is an affordable Android for the US market that brings a clean design and solid performance. View at OnePlus

One thing to note, even the very definition of "budget" differs from person to person, and a singular choice may not be able to properly appreciate the nuances of all individuals. If you're looking for more options, here are some other great cheap Android phones for you to consider.

Best Large Foldable Smartphone: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

Last year's Galaxy Z Fold 3 corrected a lot of initial concerns about foldable phones -- Samsung managed to add water resistance while shedding weight and lowering the price. This year, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 makes mostly iterative changes, and while each change is relatively small, together they make up more than the sum of their parts and further polish an already very refined foldable.

This year, Samsung shrunk the hinge protrusion a bit, so that the Fold 4 is a bit more comfortable to hold in folded form. What's more, Samsung gave those precious few millimeters saved to the screen, so the Fold 4 has a slightly wider screen than the Fold 3. Samsung also further shed weight to 263g, making for the second lightest large screen foldable around behind the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2.

The cameras also got some much-needed improvements -- Samsung upgraded the Fold 4's main sensor to a 50MP, 1/1.55-inch sensor which drastically increases light intake. Compared to the Fold 3, the Fold 4 brings a quite noticeable improvement in main and zoom camera photography. The 3X zooms lens here, in particular, is a huge jump over the 2X lens from last year.

Samsung also refined the software to allow the Fold 4 to jump into multi-tasking mode a bit easier. Previously, it took three taps to go into the split-screen mode, now you can do so with one tap in some instances. The Fold 4, just like previous Folds, offers superior multi-tasking due to the larger screen. Whether it's reading a press release in Gmail while taking notes in Google Docs, or running Twitter side-by-side with WhatsApp, the Fold 4's larger screen and improved software just make the experience feel more seamless. No matter how you refer to it, it's essentially a pocket PC that you can carry around with you to get some serious work done or enjoy consuming media like no other phone can.

All of this is handled by the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 SoC which means everything you do on the phone is fast and snappy, no matter how many apps you run. The S Pen support introduced last year is also back, so artists or notetakers can take full advantage of that larger canvas.

The internal display is a 120Hz OLED panel with an under-display front camera (UDC), giving the screen an immersive look. If you game a lot on your phone or even read a lot of e-books, you can't find a better phone than this thanks to that huge display. This year, Samsung also upgraded the outer cover display to a 120Hz panel to make things more uniform. The phone is also now IPX8 water-resistant making it one of the most durable foldables out there.

With a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, excellent speakers, and that large 7.6-inch screen, the Z Fold 4 is excellent for gaming or movie-watching. While the cameras aren't the best around, they're still quite good and enough for most.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is Samsung taking the most polished large foldable and making it even better, with a less intrusive hinge, a new processor, and much better cameras. View at Samsung

Best Small Foldable Phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 was one of the most stylish-looking smartphones to come out in recent years, and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 wisely brings back the exact same look -- but with more color customization options. We adore the two-tone finish and the petite size when folded up. But don't mistake small size for lack of power -- this thing is, along with the Fold 4, the most durable foldable phone ever, with IPX8 water resistance and "Armor Aluminum" build material.

The Flip 4 is an awesome device for those who find modern Android phones too large and hard to pocket. Unfolded, the 6.7-inch, 1080 x 2640 display looks and behaves like any other top Samsung screen, with vibrant colors, top-notch sharpness, and a fast refresh rate up to 120Hz for buttery smooth animations.

New to the Flip 4 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor, which has a stronger GPU and superior battery efficiency. The latter is important, as battery life has always been a slight weakness in previous Flips. While the Flip 4 isn't going to win any battery endurance awards, it is now possible to get all-day use provided you're not pushing it too heavily.

Samsung also improved the software for the outer "Cover Display," allowing users to open any app on the smaller 1.9-inch display. Sure, some apps will look silly in the cramped space, but other apps will benefit from it. You can, for example, scroll through your Spotify playlist directly from the outside screen.

While the pair of 12MP cameras here aren't amazing hardware-wise, Samsung's computational photography is very smart, so it will help compensate for the older hardware with AI trickery to produce shots that are usually vibrant and well-detailed. Of course, with Flex Mode, the Flip 4 can shoot in a lot of creative ways too. Overall, the Flip 4 is an iterative refinement to already an excellent small foldable.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the ideal phone for those who want something more pocketable -- and more stylish. View at Samsung

Best Smartphone Camera: Google Pixel 7 Pro

With a capable 50MP main camera with a relatively large image sensor, a 5x Periscope zoom lens that can use in-sensor cropping to churn out an almost 10x optical zoom, and a sweeping ultra-wide camera, the Google Pixel 7 Pro has a very capable camera system. But what makes it arguably the best is the brain behind it all -- the Google Tensor G2. Google's second-gen silicon leverages Google's all-powerful machine-learning prowess to examine the image data captured by the lenses, and then produce images with awesome dynamic range, details, and clarity.

Google's machine learning also enables several smart photography tricks such as Action Pan and Night Sight, the former creates motion blur effects around subjects who may be barely moving, and the latter pulls in light miraculously in dark scenes.

Video capabilities had previously been a weakness in Pixels, but the Pixel 7 Pro also improves on this, with stable footage with excellent colors and balance. You can even apply an artificial blur that makes the footage look more cinematic.

Elsewhere, the Pixel 7 Pro is a very good phone too, with a unique design, a great 120Hz OLED screen, and fast, zippy performance. The software situation is the best in Android too, obviously, because this is the Android phone from Google. Everything that is coming to the platform as a whole will arrive on the Pixels first.

Google Pixel 7 Pro Google Pixel 7 Pro The Google Pixel 7 Pro is the best point and shoot camera for most people because it almost always gets the shot right. View at Best Buy

Also great smartphone camera: Galaxy S22 Ultra

While we think the Vivo X80 Pro's main and ultra-wide camera reaches higher heights than anyone this year, and that the Pixel 7 Pro's main camera is stellar, if you want the most complete and versatile camera system, then that would be the Galaxy S22 Ultra, because it packs four cameras covering the ultra-wide, wide, 3x zoom and 10x zoom focal range -- the latter is the best zoom lens in smartphones by some distance, with no other phone save for the very hard to buy (and Google-less) Huawei P40 Pro Plus that can even claim to have such a focal range.

The main and ultra-wide cameras of the Galaxy S22 Ultra are no slouch either -- the main lens is a 108MP shooter that uses nano-binning technology to produce a super bright image (but perhaps too bright, as it's the same over-exposure issue that has us ranking it a hair below the Vivo X80 Pro's main camera), and the ultra-wide camera is excellent during the day, with a sweeping 120-degree field-of-view.

The rest of the phone is absolutely premium, with a 6.8-inch Super AMOLED display with the maximum peak brightness of any phone screen this year, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, and a large 5,000 mAh battery. There's also the S-Pen stylus, which has migrated over to the Galaxy S series since the Note line has been retired.

Samsung's OneUI software is also among one of the most polished in the Android space, with a good multi-tasking system and extra features such as Samsung DeX. While we ultimately gave the "best overall" title to the iPhone 14 Pro, if you have decided iOS isn't for you, then the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the pick for the best overall phone on this list.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra The Galaxy S22 Ultra is by default the king of Android phones right now, with the widest global availability and the most complete camera system. View at Samsung

Best Big Phone: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

If you want an unapologetically big phone, then the iPhone 14 Pro Max, with a 6.7-inch screen in a boxy design, is the phone you should be looking at. The iPhone 13 Pro Max was already a very big phone, and the new 14 Pro Max one-ups it by adding a bit more thickness (from 7.7mm to 7.9mm). In return, you get even better battery life over the previous model -- which makes the iPhone 14 Pro easily the battery endurance champion of any smartphone right now.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max ditches the notch in favor of the "Dynamic Island," which has been a bit divisive, but we here at XDA see it as a new and creative way to interact with all the information we get daily on our smartphones.

The camera performance has improved thanks to a new 48MP main camera that shoots pixel-binned 12MP photos, and slightly larger image sensors for the ultra-wide camera too. This means the iPhone 14 Pro Max can take in a lot of light in dark scenes. In fact, sometimes the photos may be too bright -- but you can dial this down in settings. The iPhone 14 Pro Max brings back the awesome video capabilities with even better stabilization thanks to a new EIS mode Apple has dubbed "Action Mode."

Then there's the A16 Bionic, which is still the best SoC in the mobile industry today. For doing intensive tasks on your phone like gaming, or editing and rendering videos, the iPhone 14 Pro Max would be a perfect choice. Apart from raw performance, Apple's hardware and software integration are unmatched in the mobile space, which means you're getting the best hardware and software synergy in the mobile industry.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max Apple iPhone 14 Pro The iPhone 14 Pro Max is the biggest and best possible phone to come out of Cupertino View at Best Buy

Best Small Phone: Apple iPhone 13 Mini

There was no iPhone 14 Mini this year, so if you love small phones, the iPhone 13 Mini is the phone for you. This thing isn't just small -- it's tiny. It's a phone that most people will be able to use with one hand with ease. Despite its small size, it's still among one of the most powerful phones around, thanks to that Apple A15 Bionic chip and well-optimized iOS. Apple even improved on the below-par battery life of the iPhone 12 Mini for this year's update.

The iPhone 13 Mini was a dream come true for small phone enthusiasts. Apple finally made a flagship phone with powerful, top-of-the-line internals that fit into a compact form factor that could easily fit into your denim pockets. Small phones were a thing of the past until apple resurrected the category with the iPhone 12 Mini. However, the small form factor brought along with it a big drawback -- average battery life.

There's a limit to the size of a battery you can put inside a small phone like the 12 Mini and that limit meant that the phone had sub-par battery life. The iPhone 13 Mini fixes this very problem and finally presents a strong case for a small phone to be used like any other phone in 2022. Battery life is the single biggest upgrade that the iPhone 13 Mini brings and that alone is a big win according to us. We now have a compact phone that doesn't need to be around a charge by afternoon.

While the capacity of the battery has increased, what's responsible for the increment in battery life is mainly the A15 Bionic chip from Apple. It's more power-efficient than last year's A14 Bionic while being one of the most powerful chipsets around. The iPhone 13 Mini is also a performance beast and can play the most graphic-intensive games with ease. You can also shoot and edit 4K 60fps videos directly from the phone along with the option to record videos in the new Cinematic Mode. The display, while still being stuck at 60Hz, now has a smaller notch and is slightly brighter than its predecessor.

To summarize, you get a pair of 12MP rear-facing cameras that, while not the most versatile system around, can capture awesome still photos and best-in-class videos. Starting at $799, this is also one of the cheaper iPhones around. If you love small phones, this one's a no-brainer.

Apple iPhone 13 Mini Apple iPhone 13 Mini The iPhone 13 Mini is the phone to get if you want a small phone that you can easily use with one hand. View at Best Buy

Second-Best Small Smartphone: Asus Zenfone 9

The Asus Zenfone 9 is a small but mighty phone -- and the clear choice to get if you want a small phone that runs Android. With a 5.9-inch OLED screen, measuring 146.5 x 68.1 x 9.1 mm and weighing just 165g, the Zenfone 9 is a very easy phone to use and hold with one hand. Many of us at XDA actually think the Zenfone 9's 5.9-inch screen is the perfect "small" size, as the iPhone 13 Mini's 5.4-inch panel is just a bit too cramped for most modern content.

Asus didn't just make the phone small and called it a day. Asus also gave it some unique features, such as a gimbal stabilization system supporting the main 50MP camera. This allows the phone to shoot smoother pan videos. Then there's the right side of the phone, which houses a side-mounted fingerprint scanner/power button, volume rockers, and a touch-sensitive panel that allows the user to quickly launch apps or actions.

Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, whose energy efficiency allows the 4,300 mAh battery to power the phone all day for all but the heaviest users. All the other smartphone bits are great too -- that aforementioned display is a 120Hz panel, and the ultra-wide camera produces punchy sweeping landscape shots. Heck, there's even a headphone jack.

Asus's software is easy to use for beginners, but also very rewarding for power users because it's full of shortcut gestures in the form of taps, swipes, or interacting with that touch-sensitive side panel. We are also fans of how the phone looks overall, with a polycarbonate back plate that offers a sandstone-like, grippy texture, and large symmetrical camera rings.

Asus Zenfone 9 Asus Zenfone 9 The Asus Zenfone 9 is easily the best small Android phone around. But even if you don't factor in the size, it's still a very capable smartphone overall. View at Amazon

Best Gaming Phone: Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro

If you do lots of mobile gaming and want a device that can keep up, then look no further than the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro. Between the blazingly fast and buttery smooth 165Hz OLED display that's completely uninterrupted, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 SoC, large 6,000 mAh battery, dual front-facing stereo speakers, and up to a whopping 18GB of RAM, there isn't a smartphone out there more equipped to handle mobile gaming.

Of course, because this is a gaming phone, the ROG Phone 6 Pro also has "AirTriggers," which are functional capacitive touch panels on the right side of the phone that serve as shoulder triggers when the phone is held sideways -- when you're gaming. There’s also a rear display, named “ROG Vision,” and while it doesn't so much -- it does allow you to show off the phone by giving it more flair.

From our testing, the ROG Phone 6 is a beast of a performer, able to run games at 60fps with few drops. All the benchmarks are chart-topping too. On the camera front, you have the main system consisting of a 50MP IMX766 main sensor, 13MP ultrawide (f/2.4) and 2MP macro setup, and a 12MP selfie camera. Photos captured by this phone are sharp, punchy, and overall good, but video recording isn’t the greatest, as footage suffered from poor stabilization and dealing with sudden shifts in lighting.

As a gaming phone, the cameras are naturally not the star of the show -- but the optics here can be considered solid. Asus packed the Sony IMX766 50MP sensor as a primary shooter, a 13MP ultra-wide, and a 5MP macro camera. There’s no dedicated telephoto option here, but Asus uses the 50MP sensor to shoot at 2x lossless in bright light situations. When it’s dark, it turns to digital zoom. These cameras won't win any awards, but they're more than good enough for most people.

ASUS ROG Phone 6 ASUS ROG Phone 6 Pro The Asus ROG Phone 6 is an absolute beast of a phone, with a 165Hz screen, 6,000 mAh battery, 18GB of RAM, and the newest and most powerful chip in Android. What more do you need for gaming? View at Amazon

Best Smartphone not sold in the US: Vivo X80 Pro

There are lots of phones that can make this list, but considering we named the Vivo X80 Pro the best camera phone of 2022 so far, it'd be hard to not also slot it here in the "best phone not sold in the US" category. As mentioned, the Vivo X80 Pro is a polished tip-top Android flagship that can absolutely compete against Samsung or Apple's best offerings in display brilliance, processing power, UI fluidity, and camera performance.

The latter, as we already mentioned, is in our opinion the best in mobile right now -- just point and shoot with the Vivo X80 Pro anywhere and expect a vibrant, punchy shot with excellent contrast and details. If you live in the US and are open to importing, this is the one to consider.

Vivo X80 Pro Vivo X80 Pro The Vivo X80 Pro has our vote for the best main cameras of any smartphone right now, and the rest of the package is pretty good too. View at Flipkart

There are a lot of good phones to choose from right now, and we hope this guide helped. We think the iPhone 14 Pro is the best all-around option for most, but the Galaxy S22 Ultra, OnePlus 10 Pro and Google Pixel 7 are also very good alternatives. We will update this list regularly so be sure to check back often -- or the next time you're on the market for a new phone.

Top 10 Mobile Brands in World

As we are in the 21st century and the mobiles and cell phoneshave become regarded as the century icon. Mobile phones have come a long way, they are the most used devices in the world and the growth of the mobile industry has been amazing and this has been an astonishing achievement for the industry. The growth of the mobile industry has opened doors for many entrepreneurs; however, startups must also hold with the dynamical trends, purchaser behavior, and strategies of companies like Google, Apple, Microsoft in the corporate field. If a startup knows this Enhancement, then this would help them grasp the great opportunity while lessening risk from potential issues.

With an increment of sales in mobile phones, the competition within the mobile brands is also increasing. Every person wants a smartphone with the best features within the best rates possible so people are confused because there are numerous brands in the market. Hence, mobile brands face a lot of competition in their field. Now let’s discuss which brands have proved themselves and are in the top ten list of mobile brands in the world:

1. SAMSUNG

Samsung is a big name in phone companies and has emerged as one of the top mobile brands in the world. It is a South Korean company founded on 1st March 1938. It is one of the most trusted brands in the world because of the top-notch facilities provided by the company and its long-lasting smartphones. The smartphones sold by this company are very much user-friendly, the best innovative software, proper customer care facility, cost-effective, etc.

The features and facilities provided by the company have made it the most demanded smartphone brand in the world and its smartphones are the highest sold smartphones in the world. Some of the highest and the best-selling and popular phones of this brand are Samsung Galaxy A51, Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S20, Samsung Galaxy S10e, Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung Galaxy Note 10, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Samsung Galaxy Fold, Samsung Galaxy Fold 2, Samsung Galaxy M31, Samsung Galaxy M21, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite, Samsung Galaxy A71, Samsung Galaxy A90, and Samsung Galaxy M40.

Sales per year 321.3 million units and revenue per year 211.2 billion USD makes it rank number one in the top mobile brands in the world list.

2. APPLE

It is one of the most premium mobile brands in the world. It is an American multinational technology company and is one of the biggest tech companies in the world. It was founded on April 1st, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne. The top smartphone hand of this company includes Apple iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone X, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone SE.

Sales per year 217 plus million phones and revenue per year USD 53.8 billion makes it ranked number two in the list.

3. HUAWEI

It’s one of the wide-ranging smartphone brands in the world. It is a Chinese multinational company founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei. Popular handsets launched by this company are Huawei P30 Pro, Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Huawei P30, etc.

Sales per year $107.13 billion, Revenue per year $8397.01 Million makes it rank number three in the list.

4. XIAOMI

It is a Chinese multinational company founded in April 2010 by Lei Jun. With just a few years of its release, it has given a tough competition to its competitors. It’s the world’s 4th most valuable technology startup. Popular smartphones released by this company are Mi 10 Ultra, Redmi Note 9 Pro, Redmi Note 9, Redmi 9, Redmi Note 8, Poco F2 Pro, and Redmi Note 8 pro.

Sales Per year 119 Million, Revenue Per year $25.4 billion makes it rank number four in the list.

5. OPPO

Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunication Corp., Ltd, stylized as OPPO, is a Chinese company founded by Tony Chen in 2001. Some popular handset launched by the company is OPPO A31, OPPO F15, OPPO A5, OPPO F9, OPPO A9, OPPO Reno2, OPPO F3, F5, F7, F11 Pro, F5 Youth, OPPO A83.

Sales Per Year 29 million units, Revenue Per Year $137.7 million makes it fifth in the list.

6. VIVO

VIVO Communication Technology Co. Ltd. Is a Chinese tech company founded in 2009 by Shen Wei. Vivo offers a wide range of phones with great features and specifications. Popular smartphones launched by the company are Vivo V17 Pro, VIVO Z1x, VIVO S1 Pro, VIVO S1, VIVO V17, VIVOZ1 Pro, VIVO S1, VIVO U20, VIVO U10, VIVO V15, VIVO Y11.

Sales Per year 49.5 Million units, Revenue Per Year 46 million USD makes it rank sixth in the list.

7. MOTOROLA

It’s an American multinational telecommunications company in 1928 founded by Paul and Joseph Galvin. After facing a loss of $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009. The company got divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions in 2011. Popular mobiles launched by this company are Motorola Razr, Mate X, MOTO G8 Plus, MOTO Z4, Motorola One Action, MOTO Z3, MOTO G7 Power, MOTO G7 Plus and Motorola One Vision.

Sales Per Year 12 Million, Revenue Per Year 7.4 billion USD, makes it seventh in the list.

8. LENOVO

LENOVO is a Hong Kong based multinational company founded by Liu Chuanzhi on 1st November 1984. The phones launched by Lenovo are cheap and with the best specification. Smartphones launched by this company is Lenovo Z5, Lenovo K5 Note, Lenovo P2, Lenovo Z2 Plus, Lenovo K6 Power, Lenovo Vibe k5, Lenovo Vibe K5 Note, Lenovo Z5s, Lenovo Z5 Pro GT.

Sales Per Year 35 million units, Revenue Per Year USD 14billion makes it 8th in the list.

9. LG

LG Electronics is a South Korean multinational company founded by Koo-In-hwoi in 1958. The popular smartphones launched by LG are LG G7 Plus ThinkQ, LG W10 Alpha, LG V30 Plus, LG Stylo 5, LG Q70, and LGK61. The smartphones launched by LG didn’t gain a lot of popularity in many countries.

Revue Per Year 54.9 billion USD makes its ninth rank in the list.

10. NOKIA

Nokia is a multinational company founded by Fredrik Idestam, Leo Mechelin, Eduard Finland on 12 May 1865. Before Nokia used to rule the mobile market but as the technology evolved and smartphones were introduced the company couldn’t perform better and by now they are selling smartphones and trying to get better day by day. Popular smartphones launched by Nokia are Nokia 2.3, Nokia 220, Nokia110, Nokia6.2, Nokia 3.2, Nokia9 Pureview, Nokia 8.1, etc.

It is the 10th ranked smartphone brand in the list with its annual sales of more than 17.5 million smartphones.

So, to sum up, these were our views on mobile phones currently available around us. Each company tries to come up with the best features of their mobile phones, some succeed in leaving a great impact on its users. The necessity of mobile phones has increased to a great extent in this current pandemic situation of COVID-19 since almost all students are forced to switch to an online mode of education, and for the same reason, the mobile phone companies are facing tough competition to prove their worth.

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